The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country / Opinion

Dom 'Furious' George - Below the belt

Dom George
By Dom George
The Country producer·The Country·
7 Dec, 2016 09:15 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

For Jamie Mackay - this man is called Joseph Parker. He's a boxer. Photo / Dean Purcell

For Jamie Mackay - this man is called Joseph Parker. He's a boxer. Photo / Dean Purcell

Dom George
Opinion by Dom George
Dom is Jamie Mackay's reluctant sidekick and long-suffering verbal punching bag. When he's not being abused at work he's being abused at home by his wife and kids. His cheery disposition is further enhanced by the fact that he has to get up at 4 am every day to host The Country Early Edition on Radio Sport. (5-6 am Tue-Sat). Tune in...if you dare.
Learn more

"Wow... Wow... Wow..." Not quite Keith Quinn's" Oh!... Oh!... Oh!...", but Jamie Mackay's reaction to John Key's imminent resignation as Prime Minister did come from a similar place of disbelief.

The Country team was just finishing up Monday's radio show when Mr Key used his regular parliamentary press conference to launch the bombshell that he's stepping down from the nation's top job.

Our immediate thought, as I suspect it was with most people, was "why"? What dirt was about to be thrown around, what great scandal was waiting in the wings? My imagination ran wild. But as the afternoon unfolded it all seemed pretty kosher, which was massively disappointing. But for Jamie, it cut deep.

In fact, the ensuing days have been nothing but misery for the poor chap who, despite delusions of political neutrality, is a card-carrying constituent of Camp Key. So I can hardly begrudge him a night out being wined and dined ringside at Joseph Parker's heavyweight title fight in Auckland this Saturday night.

But I will.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Some of my fondest childhood memories involve boxing. Whether it was a good old fashioned playground stoush or watching the best of the best on those glorious days of free to air TV, the art of pugilism captured my attention from a young age.

The first time you get properly punched in the face is something you never quite forget.

The intriguing aspect of it is the range of emotions that all seem to hit simultaneously. There's definitely a feeling of shock, pain is in there too, although that's generally a fleeting sensation, a bit of natural fear and anxiety as well. But among all of this, a god smack in the chops also leaves an aftertaste of exhilaration.

Survival instinct kicks in, adrenalin surges and for a split second you even sort of enjoy it.

I can't imagine too many people enjoyed being hit by Mike Tyson though. He's still one of, if not the most, dominant sportsmen of all time. I watched his fights religiously and sat on awe of his ferocity.

Discover more

Listen: Top of the Hops - Kereru Brewing Company

29 Nov 08:59 PM
Opinion

Dom 'Furious' George - Grin and beer it

30 Nov 09:40 PM

The Country Today - John edition

06 Dec 12:33 AM

Listen: Barry Soper - John Key 'went the way he began'

06 Dec 02:31 AM

I watched opponent after opponent slayed by this human wrecking machine. I watched him get beaten, I watched him bite ears and I watched him fade from glory, but nothing will match those early days.

I also watched the likes of Tommy 'Hitman' Hears, Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard, all of which remember, were free to air in those halcyon days live free TV. To this day I follow what's happening in the fight world, especially the career of Triple G, Gennady Golovkin.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

So the sense of injustice I feel at Mackay's latest visit to the trough is understandably palpable. He's got his snout firmly entrenched ringside, which is particularly galling given his own admission he doesn't really care for boxing and doesn't know that much about it!

This is like me being given free admission to some boring golf tournament or a spot as an extra on Coronation Street, or any other of his interests like tall buildings, soil moisture deficits and rugby shorts with back pockets.

To make matters worse, he knows I'm annoyed and is milking it for all its worth!

But I guess with the abrupt end to the career of his favourite person who never played rugby, it's a delicate time in his life and I should be more sensitive.

I hope he gets to witness Gentleman Joe put Andy Ruiz on the canvass and gets a chance to shout out a few more "wow's" - this time in admiration, not shock.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Over 1200 exhibitions to open at Fieldays 2025

09 Jun 05:03 AM
The Country

Sam Carter wins Hawke's Bay Young Grower title

09 Jun 04:17 AM
The Country

Rebecca Fisher wins lifetime achievement award for horticulture leadership

09 Jun 03:28 AM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Over 1200 exhibitions to open at Fieldays 2025

Over 1200 exhibitions to open at Fieldays 2025

09 Jun 05:03 AM

'Fieldays is our home for four days each year. A space for connection and celebration.'

Sam Carter wins Hawke's Bay Young Grower title

Sam Carter wins Hawke's Bay Young Grower title

09 Jun 04:17 AM
Rebecca Fisher wins lifetime achievement award for horticulture leadership

Rebecca Fisher wins lifetime achievement award for horticulture leadership

09 Jun 03:28 AM
'It means a lot': Hunting contest's crucial role in rural rescue

'It means a lot': Hunting contest's crucial role in rural rescue

09 Jun 03:00 AM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP